Special Children Series 08: Beware of the Merman
by shadowglove
Summary: Sequel to Most Unlikely of Places. With the job done, Cas and Chloe go to tell their client and get their pay. Sam, jealous of Cas, decides to go with them. Flirty gay mermen, a harassed Cas, a breakdown and a reconciliation. Oh my!


**Disclaimer: Don't own Smallville/Supernatural.**

Takes place **right** after the events in "Most Unlikely of Places".

Written for my Livejournal Paranormal25 150 Prompt Table. Prompt used # 77: Mermaid (merman).

Warning: Beware stereotype gayness in OC. *bangs head to desk* I just couldn't help myself.

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Chloe held onto Sam's shirt tightly, burying her face in it, wanting to never let go. She'd been for months convincing herself she'd never be in this situation again, that she'd never _see_ him again much less be in his arms and feel so _protected_ and so _right_.

"_Chloe_." Castiel's voice broke into the moment.

Chloe felt Sam's arms tighten around her, a growl resonating in her ear.

She pushed away from him in a move that she knew surprised him, and maybe hurt him, but Chloe knew she had to do this. She---she was strong, she'd survived three months without him, and, and, and even if they were going to work together some things were going to change---and this was one of them.

Just because she wasn't under obligation to heaven to keep away from Sam didn't mean that she wasn't the catalyst to his darkness…and so even though she knew that he wasn't letting her leave anymore, she had to put down some ground rules, and try straighten things out between them.

They----they couldn't go back to the way they'd been before…

…no matter how much she wanted them to.

"Is it that time?" Chloe asked Castiel, turning to the angel and running her hand through the hair of her wig. She looked around the demolished strip club, sighing, knowing she wasn't going to be getting her measly paycheck from this gig.

Castiel nodded. "There are no…_reasons_ for us to hesitate to make the move."

Chloe snorted. "Yeah, this gig went up in smoke, might as well finish it early and get the hell outta here."

Lois, in her stripper suit, walked up towards them. "Can I stay out of this one? I just want to go back to the motel and take off these heels."

Chloe nodded, sending Sam, Dean and Bobby a look, before turning to Lois. "Take them back with you. Cas and I will come back when we're finished."

Lois nodded.

"I'm coming with you." Sam stepped forwards, eyes narrowed, voice harsh. "Like _hell _I'm letting you out of my sight again."

Chloe controlled her reaction to that, just turning to him. "Look, Sam, it's nothing dangerous, okay? Cas and I just need to tie up a few loose ends and meet with our client."

"Client?" Bobby asked.

Lois nodded. "We've been getting calls and stuff about jobs, it's how we found out about this one here."

"Who's the client?" Dean wanted to know.

Chloe and Lois shared a look.

"Someone…_unconventional_." Chloe answered, reaching for Cas' sleeve and tugging him behind her.

She closed her eyes at the displeased growl behind them, sensing the danger rising off of Sam like _heat waves_, and yet she refused to let go of Castiel even when Sam joined them. If this was how she was going to have to discourage him, then so be it.

Even _if _it was a little dangerous...

Cas was an angel.

He could take it.

"Where are we going?" Sam finally asked, as they turned the corner behind the strip joint into a dark alley, as the sound of sirens filled the air.

Once they were out of sight, the scenery flashed before them and they were suddenly transported to the hidden sea cave outside of the town.

"Here we are. Our client's residence." Cas announced, giving a little sigh.

Chloe grinned. "Ah, Cas. You gotta forgive him for that time."

"I _have_ forgiven him." Castiel informed her. "I just haven't _forgotten_. It would be...unwise...to let my guard down after having experienced that."

Chloe giggled, before turning to Sam, who was watching them in silent curiosity. "Our client is a _little_ hands-onsy...and poor Cas got a high dose of it last time."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

The blonde smiled. "When he, uh, comes to hug you? Turn your hips slightly or you'll get a feel of him."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "What sort of client _is_ this?"

Chloe and Cas just shared a look, the blonde amused and the angel looking terribly put-upon.

"_Chloe baby_!" A voice announced empathetically.

Everyone turned to see an apparently half naked man in the water, wet from having just swum in.

"Mervin!" Chloe smiled, going to the edge of the opening and watching as the merman pulled himself out of the water, tail flapping happily.

She didn't need to look at the boys to know that Cas was sighing and Sam was watching with wide eyes.

"Would you mind terribly?" Mervin asked, pointing to behind a couple of rocks.

"Of course not." The blonde announced, going to the rocks and pulling out a large, antique looking fan with peals on the handle. She made her way to the merman and opened the fan, beginning to fan him with it, feeling the magic in the artifact before seeing it working, as his tail began to dissolve into two legs, and in moments he was just any other naked man sprawled on the ground. "Have you been working out?"

"You gorgeous _tease_." Mervin chuckled, standing up, not at _all_ bothered by his nakedness. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a tight hug. "You'll turn me any day now, I swear!"

"Lucky me." Chloe smiled, having gotten used to the merman's extravagance the couple of times she'd met him, and finding it utterly entertaining. "We came to tell you that the job's done. The sirens are both dead."

"Oh, thank Neptune's big, delicious triton." Mervin grinned, giving her another tight hug, before hesitating, looking over her shoulder. "I recognize the yummy angelic honeycomb, but _who_ is the scrumptious devil's cake? I just want to devour him _whole_!"

Chloe didn't know whether to feel amused or sorry for Sam. "He's a friend of mine, before Cas and I started working together. We're going to be joining my old crew, so..."

"Why did you _ever_ leave that group?" Mervin was probably still eye-fucking poor Sammy over her shoulder.

"Personal situations, I've told you that." She pulled away and slapped him playfully on his chiseled chest. "And _stop_ it! You have enough lovers to go around, _even_ if the sirens killed a couple of them. And anyway, you've traumatized my angel last time, don't do the same with Sam!"

For some reason she could feel displeasure in Sam without even having to look at him.

She wondered what had upset him enough for her to be able to pick up on it so strongly.

"Nonsense, I was just making sure that angels were _completely_ like humans, having, you know, the same equipment." Mervin grinned at her. "It was purely scientific curiosity!"

"He's in a _host_, you _knew_ that before you grabbed his crotch." Chloe countered.

Mervin, unable to deny that, just grinned brighter. "And _what_ a crotch!"

"Chloe, we have informed him of our mission being complete." Cas announced, sounding very close to being uneasy. "We have no further reason to tarry here."

"Always so _cold_, Cassy." Mervin pouted, sidestepping Chloe to go and fling his arms around Cas's neck before the angel could escape. The merman pouted and rubbed his cheek against Cas'. "I'm not going to have a chance to see your emotionless face now! I think I'm going to cry!"

Cas kept his hands to his sides, looking at Chloe over Mervin's shoulder in a 'why me?' sort of way.

"Oh well!" Mervin got over his sudden bout of depression as he detached himself from the angel and turned to Sam, grin admittedly lecherous. "Nice to meet you!" He flung himself at Sam.

Sam raised his hand and the merman froze.

Literally.

"Nice to meet you too." Sam responded, voice careful and yet somewhat threatening.

Mervin gulped.

Cas looked a little envious that Sam could do that to Mervin and keep him away.

Chloe had to admit she was a little impressed. Sam hadn't been able to do _that_ the last time she'd seen him. She wondered if his powers had developed as tremendously as hers in the amount of time they'd been separated.

The power holding the merman seemed to be released and Mervin turned to Chloe, pouting. "He's no fun! No _wonder_ you left!"

Sam's eyes darkened to a threatening purple.

Chloe shot him a glare that told him to _calm_ _down_, before turning to Mervin. "Well, we did our part of the deal. It's your turn to pay up, Mer."

"Right." Mervin nodded, giving Sam a ridiculous pout, before jumping back into the water and disappearing.

"Did he just ditch on paying you?" Sam asked, frowning in confusion and anger.

"No, he has gone to retrieve it." Cas sighed, folding his arms over his chest.

"He wouldn't leave for good, not when I have his favorite fan." Chloe agreed, waving said fan at Sam with a smile.

"I don't understand. Why would you work for him?" Sam sneered in disgust.

"Mervin's not so bad...as long as you're a girl." Chloe giggled, eyeing the two wary males. "And despite how _extravagant_ he might seem, he has sway in the underwater kingdom, and has something I've been coveting for a while now."

"Thou shalt not covet." Cas murmured a little scoldingly.

Sam raised an eyebrow at Cas, snorting. "Are you for real?"

Cas blinked, looking a little confused. "Yes, I assuredly _am_ real."

Sam shook his head and looked away.

Chloe sighed, wondering if this was a foreshadowing of what was to come.

She'd expected some rough times having Cas _and Ruby_ on the same team, but maybe Sam and Cas were the ones she would have to look out for.

"How has Ruby been doing?" Chloe asked, imagining the reunion that must be going on between the demon and her cousin right about now.

"She hasn't been good." Sam replied, voice dark, gaze lowered. "She felt like a part of her was torn out and fed through a grinder when she found out that Lois had just _left_."

Chloe looked away. "Lois had her reasons for going."

"She should have trusted herself and Ruby to be able to work things out _together_." Sam's voice hardened.

"She did what she had to help the group and it ended up bringing Dean back." Chloe argued, feeling defensive. "Ruby should be grateful for all that Lois has done!"

"Grateful? _Grateful_?" Sam snapped, the boulders in the cave beginning to _levitate_ as his pitch black eyes glared at her. "She didn't know what was going on! She blamed herself! She missed Lois like _hell! _She was going _insane_ without Lois!"

"Lois---_I_..." Chloe took in a deep breath, fighting the angry tears that were trying to fall. "_I_ left to protect _you_, Sam!"

"Stop trying to protect me!" Sam snapped, going towards her and grabbing her by her shoulders, giving her a furious shake. "You nearly _destroyed_ me, Chloe! Don't _ever_ do something like that to me again! I don't---." His grip on her tightened painfully. "I _know_ why you left. I _know_ that you think you're the catalyst to the evil in me. And guess _what_? You are!"

Her eyes widened in shock and horror as those last words escaped his lips.

"Because _without_ you? I was becoming a _monster_! You _are_ the catalyst, because _without_ you I have no _desire_ to even _try_ to fight the darkness in me!"

Chloe gulped, seeing in his eyes that he was telling the truth. But... "I don't...understand." She tried to shake Sam off, to look at Cas. "Castiel?"

Sam's grip was painful. "_Don't."_

"You are hurting her. Desist." Cas' voice was monotone but serious.

Chloe's gaze returned to Sam. "I did it for your own good." She whispered. "I did it to save you from me---to save you from having to kill me."

"_You destroyed me_." Sam whispered, loosening his grip on Chloe and surprising her by sliding to his knees in front of her, arms around her waist, hiding his face in her flat stomach. She could feel the warmth of his unseen tears dampening her shirt.

The boulders all collapsed to the ground with a loud thud that shook the cave.

Cas' gaze was surprised and confused.

Chloe closed her eyes and hugged Sam close to her. "I'm sorry, Sammy. I'm _sorry_."

He just tightened his hold on her, as if refusing to ever let go of her again.

Despite still being terrified of heaven's words of warning, Chloe couldn't take seeing Sam broken like this, and knowing that it was _her_ who'd made him this way. She sent Cas a beseeching look before sliding down to her knees, cupping Sam's face and looking deep into his agonized eyes, knowing the same feelings were visible in hers.

"I'm _sorry_." She whispered, leaning forwards and pressing apologetic and soothing kisses to his eyelids. "I never wanted to hurt you." Everything in her was screaming for her to make things better, to dry those tears, to erase the agony on his expression. "_Never_." Her tongue licked at the salty tears trailing down his face, trying to swallow his sadness and make it her own instead.

Sam's eyes opened, pitch black.

Beautiful.

She gulped, pulling away at the look in those eyes.

"_Hmph_."

Chloe turned her head to see Mervin at the opening, leaning his upper body on dry land, watching them with a put-out pout.

Her gaze went to what dangled between his fingers.

The blonde pressed a kiss to Sam's forehead before standing and going to Mervin, bending to her knees, smiling as the merman placed the beautiful necklace into her hand. "It's _gorgeous_."

"Isn't it?" Mervin grinned, getting over his obvious disappointment at Sam's show of heterosexuality. "Then again, the Eyes of Atlantis _are_ one of our greatest treasures."

"Thank you." She pressed and kiss to his cheek and slipped the necklace over her head, taking in a deep breath and smiling. "You're a love. If you were straight, I'd marry you."

"If you were a merman, I'd keep a chain around your fin too, minx." Mervin replied happily. "Now go off. I must be by myself to wallow in self pity now that my favorite angelcake will no more brighten up my sea cave."

Chloe smiled, standing. "You'll find someone to brighten up this cave."

"Just _one_? What a prude!" Mervin laughed.

Chloe giggled too before going to where Cas and Sam were standing, looking like they wanted nothing more than to disappear.

The blonde reached their side and smiled as Sam wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into him.

Cas watched them curiously, obviously intrigued by their actions to each other, before shaking his head and they teleported away.

Their lives might have just gotten better now that Chloe and Sam were reunited...but they were sure as hell going to be more complicated.

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